Tuesday, 18 May 2010

New Video: Sri Lanka's crimes against humanity

Sri Lanka guilty of war crime & crimes against humanity

In Dublin, 16th January, at 2.00pm the Peoples' Tribunal Chairman Francois Houtart read the preliminary findings of the Peoples' Tribunal on the war in Sri Lanka and its aftermath. There were four findings:

1: That the Sri Lankan Government is guilty of War Crimes;

2: That the Sri Lankan Government is guilty of crimes against humanity;

3: That the charge of genocide requires further investigation;

4: That the international community, particularly the UK and USA, share responsibility for the breakdown of the peace process.read the rest at bottom this page

Exclusive: a senior Sri Lankan army commander and frontline soldier tell Channel 4 News that point-blank executions of Tamils at the end of the Sri Lankan civil war were carried out under orders.

In August 2009 Channel 4 News obtained video evidence, later authenticated by the United Nations, purporting to show point-blank executions of Tamils by uniformed Sri Lankan soldiers.

Now a senior army commander and a frontline soldier have told Channel 4 News that such killings were indeed ordered from the top.

And a senior Sri Lankan army commander said: "Definitely, the order would have been to kill everybody and finish them off.

"I don't think we wanted to keep any hardcore elements, so they were done away with. It is clear that such orders were, in fact, received from the top."

Despite allegations of war crimes, Sri Lanka's government has managed to avoid an independent inquiry. But the evidence continues to mount.

'Body blows to humanitarian law'

So decisive was Sri Lanka's victory over the Tamil Tigers last year that other nations facing violent insurgencies are now citing the "Sri Lanka option" as a model for crushing rebellion, writes Channel 4 News foreign reporter Jonathan Miller.

International lawyers, human rights and conflict prevention groups are alarmed, accusing the Colombo government of riding roughshod over international law.

Last night Louise Arbour, a former chief prosecutor in international war crimes trials, told an audience at Chatham House – the foreign policy think tank – that "the [Sri Lankan] government's refusal to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants" and the "sheer magnitude of civilian death and suffering" dealt what she called "the most serious of body blows to international humanitarian law".

Now, the International Crisis Group, of which Ms Arbour is the president, has joined forces with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to demand an independent international investigation into what they brand "massive human rights violations" and "repeated violations of international law" – by both sides.

A Sinhala award winning rights activist Sunila Abeysekera brings the truth out to the world about the condition of IDP concentration camps in Vanni.

Abeysekera: Sri Lankan intelligence has always been extremely good at torture

Sharmini Peries speaks to Sunila Abeysekera award-winning human rights defender and the Executive Director of INFORM, an organization working to spread the word on Sri Lankan human rights violations. The speak about the history of the ongoing torture allegations in Sri Lanka and the so-called "internment camps" where roughly 300,000 refugees of the recent conflict linger. Abeysekera says, "Forget the torture; just overcrowding, lack of access to medical attention, and then including on top of that the beatings and the waterboarding. You know, you name it, we hear stories about it."

Bio

Sunila Abeysekera is the Executive Director of INFORM, an organization working to inform the world about human rights violations in Sri Lanka. The major themes of Sunila Abeysekera's work include issues of equality and difference in understanding women's human rights, problems of re-conceptualising the nation-state and principles of good governance from a feminist perspective; problems of representation of women in art and culture; and feminist film criticism. In 1998, Abeysekera was honoured by the United Nations for her contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights along with Jimmy Carter.

Dublin Verdict: Sri Lankan Government is guilty of crimes against humanity

In Dublin, 16th January, at 2.00pm the Peoples' Tribunal Chairman Francois Houtart read the preliminary findings of the Peoples' Tribunal on the war in Sri Lanka and its aftermath. There were four findings:

1: That the Sri Lankan Government is guilty of War Crimes;

2: That the Sri Lankan Government is guilty of crimes against humanity;

3: That the charge of genocide requires further investigation;

4: That the international community, particularly the UK and USA, share responsibility for the breakdown of the peace process.

Harrowing evidence, including video footage, was submitted by eye-witnesses of the use of heavy artillery and phosphorous munitions, and of the continuous violation of human rights by military activity to a panel of ten international jurors over two days.The Irish Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka welcomed the preliminary findings of the Tribunal. Responding to the findings, the Forum issued the following five demands:

1: We call on the Sri Lankan government to allow the United Nations to conduct an inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated during the final stages of the war between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the LTTE, and during the war's aftermath;

2: We call on the Sri Lankan Government to release all those being detained in concentration camps and the estimated 11,000 people being held secretly at unknown locations;

3: We call on the Sri Lankan government to end the use of extra-judicial killings, sexual violence, and the deprivation of food and water as weapons against the civilian population;

4: We call on the Sri Lankan government to end the suppression of political dissent by violent or other means;

5: We call on the Sri Lankan government to fully implement human rights for all citizens of Sri Lanka, and the political solution involving the full participation of the Tamil population, ending the systematic historical discriminatory measures of the Sri Lankan state against the Tamil people.

The Irish Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka asserts that long term peace and stability can only be established on the basis of full justice and rights for all the inhabitants of the island.

The next time you buy some lingerie, a T-shirt or a pair of rubber gloves, you may want to reflect on this: they were probably made in Sri Lanka. And, like it or not, your purchase plays a role in the debate over how to respond to the Sri Lankan Government's successful but brutal military campaign against the Tamil Tiger rebels, which reached its bloody climax this week.

Since 2005 Sri Lanka has been allowed to sell garments to the European Union without import tax as part of a scheme designed to help it to recover from the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. That means its clothes are 10 per cent cheaper than those from China and other competitors – helping the island to earn at least $2.9 billion (£1.9 billion) from the EU annually. Britain accounts for much of that.

Britain has also helped to rebuild Sri Lanka's tourist industry: Britons accounted for 18.5 per cent of the foreigners who visited the former colony's famous beaches, wildlife parks, tea plantations and Buddhist temples last year. Only India sends more tourists. Many Britons also own property there, especially around the southern city of Galle, not far from where Arthur C.Clarke, the British science fiction writer who settled in Sri Lanka, used to love to scuba dive.

So the question facing British shoppers and holidaymakers is this: should they continue to support Sri Lanka's garment and tourist industries? Sadly, the answer must be no.

Britain should welcome the defeat of the Tigers, a ruthless terrorist organisation that forcibly recruited children, pioneered the use of the suicide bomb and killed thousands of innocent people. But Britain must also condemn the Sri Lankan Government's conduct of the war – and take punitive action against it both to discourage other states from using similar methods, and to encourage proper reconciliation between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities. With the UN paralysed, economic sanctions is the only practical option left.

Many will ask why they should care: there are bigger conflicts in the world, and Sri Lanka's is mercifully confined to its own shores, with no risk that British troops might be deployed.

The response to that is simple: what about next time? Sri Lanka's war has been discrete only because it is an island; many other conflicts have spilt across borders, forcing military intervention to prevent a humanitarian disaster or a greater conflagration. Consider the break-up of Yugoslavia or Sierra Leone.

Britain may have, in the eyes of the world, ceded much of the moral high ground over human rights when it shed civilian blood during the invasion and occupation of Iraq. But that does not mean that it should abandon its role in defending international law that protects civilians in conflicts and holds governments accountable for their actions during war.

Yes, international humanitarian law is based largely on Western values, and enforced imperfectly, but the world would be a much more violent, unjust place without it. Put simply, every war might look like Sri Lanka's.

In an ideal world the UN, not the EU, would take the lead. But the UN, even in the face of a clear humanitarian disaster and blatant war crimes by both sides, has been compromised. By cosying up to China, Russia and other countries facing their own separatist problems, Sri Lanka managed to keep its own war off the formal agenda of the UN Security Council until the last minute. Without the UN Security Council's backing, an independent war crimes investigation will struggle to get off the ground.

Thus it is once again up to the democratic world to take action – even if that means muddling the issues of trade and human rights.

A key point to bear in mind is that human rights are an explicit part of GSP Plus, the EU's scheme that gives preferential trading rights to 16 developing nations, from Guatemala to Mongolia. These nations must comply with 27 international conventions covering environmental, labour and human rights standards. Many have gone to great lengths to adhere to them.

That may sound like excessive EU bureaucracy, but the system is designed to ensure the products we import meet EU standards – no child labour, for example. It is also designed to give developing countries an incentive to improve their own standards to the benefit of their own people.

That is where Sri Lanka has let itself down. Last year the EU expressed grave concerns about human rights abuses committed during the conflict and said that it might not renew the GSP Plus deal after it expired in December.

Sri Lanka's response was to dismiss the EU out of hand, accusing it of violating Sri Lankan sovereignty. The EU then announced that it was launching an investigation into possible rights abuses, pending the results of which GSP Plus remains in place. Sri Lanka has so far refused to co-operate, banking on EU inaction.

Since then, the situation has deteriorated dramatically. Sri Lankan armed forces are now suspected of repeatedly shelling civilian targets including hospitals, and of shooting dead at least two Tiger leaders as they were surrendering. They have also herded more than 200,000 Tamils into internment camps, splitting up families. These squalid places have insufficient water or medical supplies, and aid workers have been blocked from helping in these camps. Even the Red Cross has been forced to suspend its operations in the barbed-wire facilities, which the Sri Lankan Government calls “welfare villages” but Tamil activists liken to concentration camps.

Renewing GSP Plus in these circumstances would make a mockery of human rights and set an awful precedent for other nations. Withdrawing it could cost Sri Lanka 2 per cent of its GDP and thousands of jobs, which will hit many innocent civilians. But the fault, if this happens, will lie with its Government for failing to address the EU's concerns.

As to whether Britons should visit Sri Lanka as tourists, well that's a matter of personal choice – just as it is whether to visit Burma. But until the international community pulls together and formulates its own robust response, there is no clearer way for individuals to register their disapproval for the actions of Sri Lanka's Government than simply to stay away.

Sri Lanka has caused "untold suffering"- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka has caused "untold suffering" as it fights Tamil Tiger rebels in what is believed to be the endgame of Asia's longest-running war, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.

"I think that the Sri Lankan government knows that the entire world is very disappointed that in its efforts to end what it sees as 25 years of conflict, it is causing such untold suffering," Clinton told lawmakers, referring to the thousands of civilians trapped in the war zone.

SIVAGANGA (TN): Union home minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said both LTTE and Sri Lanka were not paying heed to India's request to endhostilities but felt Colombo was "more at fault" as it thought military solution could end the strife.

India committed a big mistake in the Lankan issue and the war ravaged Tamil people are deeply traumatised and feel being let down, founder of the Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said here on Wednesday.Sri Sri Ravishankar, founder of the Art of Living, at a relief camp set up for the Internally Displaced People in Sri Lanka

Ban ki-moon denies justice for Tamils in Sri Lanka. It's time to rise up against this UN's most corrupted Secretary General ever.

VIDEO: Ban ki-moon's controversy

UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon denies justice to Tamils by distancing himself from the controversy arising over the Channel 4 video on Sri Lanka by telling reporters in New York that the UN special envoy on extra judicial killings Philip Alston, who released a report on it last week, is acting independently.

The UN Chief said he has seen the report by the special rapporteur of the Human Rights Council and also heard the statements made by the Sri Lankan government and the UN will review the situation and follow up on the issue.

“I have seen the report, and he is the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council. He is acting independently. You might have heard statements made by the Sri Lankan Government and his own personal one. We will review all these situations and we will what the United Nations can do to follow up on these issues. There are still many issues pending: the relocation of displaced persons in Sri Lanka by the end of this month, and the political reconciliation process and also the accountability process, which I have talked to President [Mahinda] Rajapaksa during my visit, to which he had agreed to take the necessary actions. I will continue to follow up on this issue,” the UN Chief told reporters.

Alston told reporters last week that three independent experts concluded that a videotape aired last August in Britain and showing the execution of suspected LTTE cadres allegedly by the Sri Lankan military is authentic.

Three independent experts have concluded that a videotape aired last August in Britain and showing the execution of suspected LTTE cadres allegedly by the Sri Lankan military is authentic, the special rapporteur of the UN Philip Alston told reporters at the UN.

Philip Alston commissioned three experts in forensic pathology, forensic video analysis, and firearm evidence to examine the video, after concluding that the investigations carried out by the Government had not been thorough or impartial.

“The conclusion clearly is that the video is authentic,” he told a news conference in New York. “I have therefore called on the Government of Sri Lanka to respond to these allegations.”

The Government – which earlier this year declared victory over the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) after years of fighting – has categorically denied the allegations raised by the video, which purportedly depicts the extrajudicial execution of two naked and helpless Tamil men by the Sri Lankan military and the presumed prior executions of others.

It had commissioned four separate investigations which concluded that the video was a fake. However, Mr. Alston had pointed out that two of the Government’s experts looking into the matter were members of the Sri Lankan Army, the body whose actions have been called into question.

Meanwhile, the reports by the three experts from the United States commissioned by Mr. Alston to examine the video “strongly suggest that the video is authentic,” according to a note prepared by the Special Rapporteur.

Peter Diaczuk, an expert in firearms evidence, concluded that the recoil, movement of the weapon and the shooter, and the gases expelled from the muzzle in both apparent shootings were consistent with firing live ammunition, and not with shooting blank cartridges.

Daniel Spitz, a prominent forensic pathologist, found that the footage appeared authentic, especially with respect to the two individuals who are shown being shot in the head at close range. He found that the body reaction, movement, and blood evidence was entirely consistent with what would be expected in such shootings.

Jeff Spivack, an expert in forensic video analysis, found no evidence of breaks in continuity in the video, no additional video layers, and no evidence of image manipulation.

“Given these conclusions, and in light of the persistent flow of other allegations of extrajudicial executions by both sides during the closing phases of the war against the LTTE, I call for the establishment of an independent inquiry to carry out an impartial investigation into war crimes and other grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law allegedly committed in Sri Lanka,” stated Mr. Alston.

He added that there are a small number of characteristics of the video which the experts were unable to explain, including the movement of certain victims in the video, 17 frames at the end of the video, and the date of 17 July 2009 encoded in the video (the conflict was officially declared over in May 2009).

“Each of these characteristics can, however, be explained in a manner entirely consistent with the conclusion that the videotape appears to be authentic,” noted a news release also issued today.

“In sum, while there are some unexplained elements in the video, there are strong indications of its authenticity. In addition, most of the arguments relied upon by the Government of Sri Lanka to impugn the video have been shown to be flawed.”

In a separate development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the Sri Lankan Government that he is considering the appointment of a Commission of Experts to advise him further and to assist the Government in taking measures to address possible violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

Mr. Ban’s spokesperson, Martin Nesirky, told reporters that the UN is in regular contact with the Government regarding the implementation of the joint statement issued in May at the conclusion of the Secretary-General’s visit to Sri Lanka.

In that statement, Mr. Ban had underlined the importance of a comprehensive accountability process for addressing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and the Government undertook to take measures to address grievances of the victims of the conflict. (UN/DM online)

In his report, the United Nations's Special Rappotreur Philip Alston wrote: "Since the video's release, the government of Sri Lanka has claimed that the video is a fake."Over the past four months, I have been engaged in a series of communications with the government about this video, in which I requested it to conduct an independent investigation.

"While the Government initially refused to do so, on 7 September 2009, it issued a response stating that it had commissioned four separate investigations, and that they 'have now scientifically established beyond any doubt that this video is a fake'.

"At the time, I expressed concern about the objectivity of the investigations, in part because two of the 'independent experts' worked for the Sri Lankan armed forces.

"Some of the reports seemed more impressionistic than scientific, and I have never been provided the full version of the reports.

"I decided that it was incumbent upon me to commission independent and impartial evaluations of the videotape.

"Together, the reports by these experts strongly suggest that the video is authentic.

"A Sri Lankan expert stated that there was no recoil or movement of the weapon discharged.

"However, Mr Spivack and Mr Diaczuk described the recoil visible on the video, and the way in which the movement was consistent with firing live ammunition.

"A Sri Lankan expert stated that the lack of audio synchronization with the video indicated manipulation. However, Mr Spivack stated that the video/audio synchronization in the video was well within acceptable limits, and that audio can be ahead or behind video, subject to various variables.

"A Sri Lankan expert stated that the movement of the second victim after being shot was not consistent with the normal expected reaction. However, Mr Spitz stated that the movement was entirely consistent with the manner in which the individual was apparently shot.

"A Sri Lankan expert stated that while wind could be heard on the audio, it was not evident in the video.

"Mr Spivack however described multiple places in the video where there is clear evidence of wind.

"Sri Lanka’s experts argued that the footage was likely recorded on a digital camcorder, and not a mobile phone.

"Mr Spivack concluded that the metadata he retrieved from the video was entirely consistent with multimedia files produced by mobile phones with video recording capability, and that it would have been very difficult to alter the metadata."

Hon. V. Prabhakaran

Lost continent of Tamils

ஈழத்துப் புராதன பஞ்ச ஈஸ்வரர் கோவில்கள்

Remember the fallen

Let us all remember the fallen heroes of ours.

Remember the fallen!Remember the heroes!The struggle 4 freedom is still on;more than 30,000 fighters;more than 250,000 innocent people;these loss of lives will not go in vain;we shall never give up.These men and women gave their lives selflessly.Let us all take a vow thatwe will never eva forget'em.We honour these souls;they died to free Mother Eelam andknow that they've become angels in the heavens.The memory of them will live on forever.We will carry their dreams in our hearts.They are among the clouds;will vist us with the breeze.So long as last Thamil alive;they will be remembered.We will hold them in our hearts;will treasure their memories.As long as we can breathe;our heroes will never be apart.So as we buried you with honour;we will grieve, then heal & pray.Remember the fallen!Remember the heroes!RIP Great Heroes of Eelam!

-Surya-

Thamil Nation

A Nation shuttered; mother is lieing dead
Our Thamil race with many lives; yet,
It holds within it's great branches
a tale that makes it thrive & grow like a tree.

Among it's leaves are many faces
of those from whom we came from;
It's bark is the strength of family
it's roots became our name.

This tree is very precious
it has lived untold years;
It will live on in life and memory,
and bring both joy and tears.

Our Thamil tree is a treasure
that we'll pass on to next generation;
They'll nurture it and make it grow
until the end of time.